Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office

Barricaded man tased during standoff

A man who barricaded himself in a garage with a knife overnight was arrested after police deployed Taser rounds to immobilize him as he appeared to be trying to stab himself, authorities said. It began when Pottawatomie County sheriff’s deputies located a stolen vehicle in the area of Wallace and Chapman Streets in Shawnee late Wednesday night, said Shawnee Police Chief Russell Frantz. Deputies and Shawnee police tracked the suspect to a residence at 522 W. Wallace, where the suspect barricaded himself inside a garage with a knife. Negotiators from the sheriff’s office, as well as Absentee Shawnee Tribal Police Department and Tecumseh police arrived on scene and tried to negotiate with the suspect.
Sheriff Mike Booth, who said negotiations weren’t working, said the man was very “distraught.” When the suspect changed positions, three Shawnee officers and a deputy were able to fire four Taser rounds at the suspect, which immobilized him, Frantz said. Booth said Taser shots were deployed while the man had the knife in the air and appeared be trying to stab himself in the chest area. The incident ended about 1:03 a.m.
Deputies took the suspect, identified as Joel Hood, 23, into custody. He was checked by REACT EMS ambulance personnel before being transported to the Pottwatomie County Public Safety Center. Hood was booked into jail on complaints of possession of a stolen vehicle. He remained jailed Thursday on $5,000 bond. Frantz and Booth both said the case involved great teamwork by all law enforcement agencies.
The case will be forwarded to the district attorney’s office for consideration of any formal charges.